Leg support for an instant set-up foldable tent

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a leg support for an instant set-up foldable tent for bracing the tent poles firmly against the ground. A preferred embodiment includes a tripodal structure formed at the lower portion of leg poles, wherein an elastic, tubular brace having a longitudinal slit in a sectional shape of the letter “C” is provided with two tubular brackets fixed aslant to said tubular brace to hold a reinforcing legs in said tubular brackets. The tubular brace can be fixed onto a leg pole by simply pressing it against the leg pole at its slit. One end of each reinforcing leg is inserted into each of said two tubular brackets to make a tripodal leg structure, which is placed at each corner of the tent when pitched. With the reinforced brace of the leg pole thus made, the tent eaves at each corner can be made higher with a resultant increase in the headroom in the pitched tent. Because of the simple and convenient structure of the leg support, it is easy to install the leg support and the reinforcing legs.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of outdoor recreation equipment and specifically to a leg support for an instant set-up foldable tent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

When an instant set-up foldable tent is pitched, the resilience of tent cloth working against the elasticity of the tent poles causes the lower portions of the tent poles of a dome-shaped tent to bend, resulting in diminished headroom.

Said bending of tent poles also occurs in the case of a large-size instant set-up foldable tent, presenting a problem of diminished headroom when the tent is pitched. Therefore, in an attempt to solve the problem of reduced headroom in a large-size dome-shaped tent, the roof poles are provided with square angled connectors or joints that connect upright leg poles to be placed at the corners of the tent eave. Produced with this type of tent poles is a cabin or a house-shape tent. However, although this type of tent had an advantage of higher eaves and resultant increase in headroom, it had a shortcoming of weakened supporting strength of the tent poles to sustain an instant set-up foldable tent when it is pitched, for the leg poles in a cabin or a house-shape tent lost much of the elasticity and firm hold that the poles had in the case of a dome-shaped tent.

In prior attempts to solve the above problem, a pair of reinforcing legs was provided at the bottom portion of each leg pole to form a tripodal assembly of the legs at each ground corner of a tent.

However, the means to attach the reinforcing legs in the prior, conventional arts is far from simple or effective. The means to fold and unfold the reinforcing legs at a joint and the means to fix said joint onto the pole are complex and not easy to handle, which also results in a higher production cost of the leg supporting device. The complex structure of such leg-supporting devices is also prone to damage.

What is needed, instead, is a leg support for use in an instant set-up foldable tent that is simple in structure, easy to handle, effective for supporting the tent frames and the tent, and can be produced at a lower cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As aforesaid, although a cabin or a house shape tent provides an advantage of larger headroom, it results in a deterioration of the tent supporting strength of the leg poles. Therefore, there arises a need to reinforce the strength of leg poles to support the tent and the tent poles firmly and stably.

A leg support according to the present invention is suitable for, but not limited to, use with a large-size instant set-up foldable tent. In one aspect, a tubular brace of elastic property having a longitudinal slit in a sectional shape of a letter “C” is provided with a pair of tubular brackets fixed aslant to said tubular brace to hold a reinforcing leg in each of said tubular brackets left and right. The tubular brace can be fixed onto the upper portion of the bottom section of each leg pole by simply pressing it against the leg pole at the slit of said tubular brace. One end of each reinforcing leg is then inserted into each of said tubular brackets to make up a tripodal leg stand at each corner of the pitched tent.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are leg supports having a simple structure for easy use that provides a means to equip the leg poles with a pair of reinforcing legs to form a tripodal leg stand to support and sustain the tent and tent frames firmly and stably. The leg support is installed in the bottom section of the leg pole after the tent is pitched. First, a tubular brace is fixed onto the upper portion of the bottom section of the leg pole by pressing it against the leg pole at a slit portion of said tubular brace, and then a pair of reinforcing legs are inserted into the tubular brackets to reinforce the brace of the leg pole through a tripodal structure against the ground.

Thus, with the reinforced brace of the leg poles against the ground made possible by the tripodal leg pole stand through the tubular brace and the reinforcing legs, the leg poles in each corner can be made higher safely with a resultant increase in headroom in the pitched tent. As described, it is easy and convenient to install the leg support to the leg pole and the reinforcing legs to the tubular brackets because of its simple structure.

Further, because the reinforcing legs inserted into the tubular brackets are pressed downward by the weight of the tent, the tubular brace is firmly supported against the edge of the joint connecting the bottom section of the leg pole to the adjoining leg pole section, and the reinforcing legs are fixed firmly and safely in the tubular brackets to reinforce and support the leg pole without any additional fixing means installed.

The leg support of the present invention has other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, and the following Detailed Description of the Invention, which together serve to explain the principles of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a leg support in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a side view of the leg support shown in FIG. 1A when installed on a tent pole in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an embodiment having a tubular brace (1) with an indented portion (1 c).

FIG. 2B is a side view of the leg support shown in FIG. 2A when installed on a tent pole in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a process of mounting a leg support onto a tent pole in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A-B.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a tent having reinforcing leg supports in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a tent having reinforcing leg supports in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to those embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In a tripodal leg support system of the present invention comprising a leg support (4), a leg pole (100), and reinforcing legs (3) in an instant set-up foldable tent, as illustrated by FIG. 1A-B and FIG. 4, the leg support (4) is designed in the form of a three-branched tube consisting of a tubular brace (1) having a longitudinal slit portion (1 a) through which the tubular brace (1) is inserted onto the leg pole (100), and two tubular brackets (2, 2) formed aslant on both sides of the tubular brace (1) wherein the two reinforcing legs (3, 3) are inserted into the tubular brackets (2, 2). The tubular brace (1) can readily be fixed to a leg pole (100) by pushing it hard against the bottom section of the leg pole through its slit (1 a). See, for example, FIG. 3. Then the tip of each reinforcing leg (3, 3) of a given length is inserted into each tubular bracket (2, 2) to form a firm, tripodal leg support system to support and sustain the tent and the tent poles firmly against the ground.

As illustrated in FIG. 2A, an alternate embodiment includes an indented portion (1 c) on each of the middle portions of the rim portions (1 b) of the longitudinal slit portion (1 a) of tubular brace (1). By providing such indented portions (1 c), the remaining portions of the rim portions (1 b) enable the longitudinal slit portion (1 a) to be opened wider smoothly, making it possible, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, for the tubular brace (1) to be inserted onto the pole (100) smoothly and with ease.

When applied to a pitched state of a large-size instant set-up foldable tent, as illustrated by FIG. 1B and FIG. 4, the leg support (4) is attached to the upper portion of the bottom section of the leg pole (100) as the tubular brace (1) is pressed against the leg pole (100) at its slit (1 a), for the slit (1 a) opens a little further by the pressure against it and the elasticity of the tubular brace. When the tubular brace (1) has been fixed onto the tent pole (100), the enlarged slit (1 a) returns to its original width, fixing the leg support (4) to the pole (100). At this time, the leg support (4) is fixed just below the lower edge of the joint (200) connecting the bottom section of the leg pole (100) to the adjoining section of the leg pole to fix the tubular brace (1) firmly against the joint (200). Then each reinforcing leg (3) is inserted into each of the two tubular brackets (2) to form a tripodal leg support system against the ground.

As illustrated by FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the supporting strength of a leg pole (100) at its mid length is reinforced by the tripodal base created by the installation of the reinforcing legs (3), and thus can offset and reinforce the supporting strength of the pole (100) weakened by the elevated height of the leg pole (100), affording an increased height (400) of the eaves of the tent and achieving an enlarged headroom of the tent.

Because the weight of the tent exerts pressure downward to the tubular braces (1) via the joints (200) while the tubular braces (1) are being supported upward by reinforcing legs (3), the leg supports (4) are held firm in their respective position on the leg poles.

Upon disassembling and folding a tent, the leg support (4) can either be removed from the leg pole (100) or left on the pole (4) by removing only the reinforcing legs (3) from the tubular brackets (2).

Thus, because preferred embodiments of the present invention present a construction of a leg support of a three-branched tubular form having a tubular brace with a longitudinal slit and two tubular brackets, the invention enables simple construction and low production cost, rendering simplified folding and unfolding operations, and minimizing risk of damage.

Moreover, because the supporting strength of the elastic leg poles of a large-size tent is reinforced by the leg supports fixed at the mid length of the leg poles, the eaves of the tent can be kept high enough securing sufficient supporting strength of the leg poles allowing for more available headroom and increased usefulness of the tent.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents. 

1. A leg support (4) of a three branch tubular form for an instant set-up foldable tent comprising a tubular brace (1) of an elastic material having a slit portion (1 a) of a C-shape sectional view enabling the tubular brace (1) to be attached to a leg pole (100), said tubular brace (1) having two tubular brackets (2, 2) formed aslant on its sides left and right into which the two reinforcing legs (3, 3) are to be inserted, wherein the tubular brace (1) can be attached to a tent pole (100) by pushing it against the bottom section of a leg pole (100) through its slit portion (1 a), followed by the insertion of each reinforcing leg (3, 3) into each tubular bracket (2, 2) for a firm, tripodal support of the tent pole (100) against the ground.
 2. The leg support of claim 1, the tubular brace further including a pair of outwardly extending rim portions, the rim portions of the pair disposed on the tubular brace to oppose each other across the slit portion, and formed and dimensioned to receive the pole.
 3. The leg support of claim 2, wherein each of the rim portions of the pair includes an indented portion disposed on a middle portion of the rim portion. 